The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heat transfer and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for vapor recompression.
The Background Art
Heat recovery is the basis of electrical co-generation plants. Likewise many food and beverage processes require heat recovery for economy. Meanwhile, desalination plants, sugar processing, distillation systems, and the like rely on recovery of latent heat in order to minimize net energy requirements. Heat may be recovered by reheating, pre-heating, or otherwise exchanging heat from an exit flow into and incoming flow through a system of heat exchangers.
Vapor recompression is used in various forms as one method for heat recovery. For example, in food processing, industrial waste processing, oil production brine processing, and the like, vapor recompression relies on conventional heat exchangers and technologies to exchange heat, vaporize liquids, and condense distillates. The chemical constitution of dissolved materials, especially dissolved solids, as well as various ions and the like take a toll in energy and damage to the processing equipment for energy exchange.
For example, oil production results in pumping considerable water to the surface. That water often contains some amount of hydrocarbons, salts, methane, ammonia, trace elements, or a combination thereof. Therefore the water cannot be released into other water flows without treatment. Meanwhile, disposal by hauling, followed by re-injection, or evaporation by ponds or boilers, is expensive.
Industrial waste, distillation process in food and beverage industries and the like have similar, if not always so severe, problems. Even the latest methods such as vapor recompression and multiple-effect distillation struggle with efficiency, energy budgets, and equipment maintenance in the face of corrosion, fouling, scaling, and so forth. Better systems are needed for heat recovery and re-use.